Fashion has always understood reinvention. Fabrics are reshaped, ideas are reinterpreted and old influences return in new forms. At AllFashion Sourcing Cape Town 2026, that instinct took on a broader meaning as designers, manufacturers, buyers and entrepreneurs explored how fashion could create economic value while reducing its environmental impact.
The answer was visible across the exhibition floor. Discarded textiles, leather offcuts, surplus materials and natural fibres were transformed into clothing, accessories, furniture, décor and contemporary lifestyle products. These were more than inventive design statements; they showed how circular thinking can support commercially viable businesses, retain value within local communities and create employment.
This shift from discarded material to economic opportunity was a central theme of Nedbank’s involvement as a sponsor of AllFashion Sourcing Cape Town 2026. Through its Green Economy Social Impact strategy, the bank supports enterprises working across water and sanitation, renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and waste and recycling, with a focus on turning environmental challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth.
At AllFashion, the strategy was expressed through the theme Waste to Worth, which describes how Nedbank applies its Green Economy thinking to waste and recycling by supporting entrepreneurs who turn discarded or underused materials into products, businesses, jobs and income. Sustainability, viewed in this way, is not limited to reducing environmental harm – it becomes a practical route to inclusive growth.
Finding the gold in green
The scale of Nedbank’s Green Economy social impact work shows what this approach can achieve beyond a single event or industry. Since the strategy was introduced, more than R140 million has been invested in Green Economy projects. More than 1 400 enterprises have been supported, over 2 600 jobs created and more than R450 million in measurable social return generated. The portfolio has also helped divert over 16 000 tonnes of waste from landfill.
These results demonstrate that environmental action can also create economic value. They also point to a wider challenge facing small and medium enterprises. Innovative ideas and strong products are rarely enough on their own. To grow, businesses need finance, technical capability, credible networks and, above all, access to customers and contracts.
From visibility to market access
Closing that gap was the focus of one of the event’s central announcements – the launch of the Nedbank Fashion Accelerator, delivered in partnership with enterprise development specialist Fetola.
The accelerator is designed to help high-potential fashion and clothing businesses become commercially viable suppliers to formal retail, procurement and export markets. Its buyer-led, finance-enabled approach will help participating enterprises strengthen product and market fit, pricing, production, quality, operations and sustainability practices, while preparing them to respond to real demand.
That support is especially important in a sector rich in talent but constrained by structural barriers. South Africa has significant textile manufacturing capacity, yet utilisation remains below 60%, while many emerging brands struggle to move beyond small production runs. By connecting capable entrepreneurs to buyers, working capital and production support the new Nedbank Fashion Accelerator will help localise supply chains, make better use of existing manufacturing capacity and turn creativity into scalable enterprise.
The Celebration of Fashion, a Nedbank-sponsored showcase and networking event held during AllFashion Sourcing Cape Town 2026, demonstrated what this opportunity can look like in practice. It brought together designers, entrepreneurs, buyers and industry leaders, while giving Green Economy social impact beneficiaries in the fashion industry a platform to present their creativity and products. Their work showed that sustainability does not require a compromise between purpose and commercial ambition. Responsible production can result in strong design, viable businesses and measurable social and environmental value.
One of the strongest messages to emerge from AllFashion Cape Town 2026 was that sustainability can be a powerful driver of enterprise growth. When commitment is matched with finance, market access and business support, discarded materials can become products, entrepreneurs can reach new customers and local businesses can create lasting economic value.
Speaking at the event, Maluta Netshaulu, Head of Social Impact Portfolio Development at Nedbank, summed it up well when he said, “Fashion has the power to create more than trends. It can create businesses. It can create jobs. And it can create a more sustainable future.”